Suchergebnisse

This study uses the characteristics of male and female partners within adolescent relationship pairs drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to predict the occurrence of intercourse within relationships. Most analyses are based on a sample of 724 relationship pairs. The sample was ethnically diverse: 56% White, 20% Black, 14% Hispanic, and 10% Asian, Pacific Islander, or Other. Male partners on average were 17.5 years in age and females were 17.0. Predictors of intercourse included virginity status when entering the relationships, desire to have sex early in relationships, family‐ and school‐related risk indicators, attitudes regarding the pros and cons of having sex, and other risk indicators, such as delinquency and drinking. Findings demonstrate that the characteristics of both sexes influence intercourse occurrence within relationships.

Fisher (1930) presented both theoretical and empirical results concerning genetic influences on fertility. Since then, only sparse research has been done on the genetics of fertility, although more sophisticated methodogy and data now exist than were available to Fisher. This paper presents a behavioural genetic analysis of age at first intercourse, accounting for genetic, shared environmental, and selected non-shared environmental influences. The data came from the nationally representative National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). A newly developed kinship linking procedure was used that identifies links for cousins, half-siblings, full-siblings and twins in the NLSY. The results suggest a genetic influence in the overall dataset, and also among whites and in male–male and opposite-sex pairs. Genetic influences were extremely small or non-existent for blacks and for female–female pairs. Shared environmental influences were small for most subsets of the data, but moderate for female–female pairs. Two specific non-shared environmental influences – self-esteem and locus of control – were ruled out as accounting for any meaningful variance, although other general sources of non-shared environmental influence appear potentially important. Analysis of selected samples from upper and lower tails suggested that genetic influences are important in accounting for both early and late non-virginity. These findings are consistent with work reported by Miller et al. (1999), who used molecular genetic methods. Generally, these findings support the existence of genetic influences and implicate non-shared environmental influences as being important determinants of the timing of loss of virginity among US adolescents and young adults.

SummaryThe timing of transitions to sexual activity, marriage and childbearing in sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing profound changes. This study investigates the determinants of adolescent transitions in South Nyanza, a socioeconomically deprived setting in Kenya where adolescent reproductive health is a particular concern. The analysis is based on Cox regression of timing of first sexual intercourse, first marriage and first pregnancy, using data from a survey of 1247 females aged 12–19 years. The results show that higher household socioeconomic status and educational attainment are associated with delayed onset of all three transition events. Furthermore, mother's higher educational attainment is protective for initiation of sexual intercourse while rural residence is protective for pregnancy experience. Other protective factors include communication with parents or with fellow girlfriends. However, discussing sexual matters with boyfriends, high internal locus of control, and gender bias are associated with early onset of the three transition events.

This study examined, for the first time, the association between intoxication at last sexual intercourse and unprotected sex separately among HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals. Data were derived from a nationally-representative survey of Uganda in 2011. Multivariable logistic regression analyses of the intoxication-unprotected sex association included adjustment for sociodemographic and behavioral covariates that were also examined as moderators of the association. Among HIV-positive individuals, intoxication was associated with unprotected sex, whereas among HIV-negative individuals, the intoxication-unprotected sex association was moderated by knowledge that condoms prevent HIV transmission. The odds of unprotected sex was 2.67 times greater among HIV-negative individuals who were unaware that condoms prevent HIV, an association not observed among those who possessed such knowledge. The results suggest that the intoxication-unprotected sex link be incorporated within Ugandan National HIV Prevention Strategies among HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals. HIV-negative individuals who are unaware that condoms prevent HIV should be targeted for interventions focusing on increasing HIV transmission knowledge especially on the role of condoms in preventing the disease. The latter interventions should also identify those sociocultural and political beliefs about condom use that may serve as barriers to consistent condom use.

This article is concerning the comparison of Ukrainian and foreign legislation provisions in the field of responsibility for sexual intercourse with the person under the age of 16. An analysis of criminal legislation of China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Japan, Poland, Sweden as well as former Soviet republics (Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) has been made. It has been found out that responsibility for sexual intercourse with the person under the age of 16 is stipulated by criminal codes of majority of foreign countries. Conclusions on necessity of improvement of Criminal Code of Ukraine based on the madeanalysis have been drawn.

BackgroundCondoms offer the best protection against unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Little research has been conducted to determine the prevalence and investigate the influencing factors of condom use at first sexual intercourse among college students.MethodsA self‐administered questionnaire was completed by 1137 college students (573 male and 564 female) in the Kathmandu Valley. Analyses were confined to 428 students who reported that they have ever had sexual intercourse. The association between condom use at first sexual intercourse and the explanatory variables was assessed in bivariate analysis using Chi‐square tests. The associations were further explored using multivariate logistic analysis in order to identify the significant predictors after controlling for other variables.ResultsAmong the sexually active students, less than half (48%) had used condoms during first sexual intercourse. The results from the logistic regression analysis revealed that age, caste and/or ethnicity, age at first sexual intercourse, types of first sex partner, alcohol consumption and mass media exposure are significant predictors for condom use at first sexual intercourse among the college students. Students in the older age groups who had first sex were about four times (16 to 19 years old) (OR = 3.5) more likely and nine times (20 or older) (OR = 8.9) more likely than the students who had sex before 16 years of age to use condoms at first sexual intercourse.Moreover, those students who had first sex with commercial sex worker were five times (OR = 4.9) more likely than those who had first sex with their spouse to use condoms at first sex. Furthermore, students who had higher exposure to both print and electronic media were about twice (OR = 1.75) as likely as those who had lower media exposure to use condoms. On the other hand, students who frequently consumed alcohol were 54% (OR = 0.46) less likely to use condoms at first sexual intercourse than those who never or rarely consumed alcohol.ConclusionsThe rate of condom use at first sexual intercourse is low among the students. It indicates students are exposed to health hazards through their sexual behaviour. If low use of condom at first sex continues, vulnerable sexual networks will grow among them that allow quicker spreading of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Findings from this study point to areas that policy and programmes can address to provide youth with access to the kinds of information and services they need to achieve healthy sexual and reproductive lives.